Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Florio is such a comfortable dining establishment that we could have lingered there for a long time. The dining room is casual with the old world charm that one expects from a French bistro with wooden chairs, warm toned walls and flawless service. But wait, this is not a French bistro, nor is it Italian as many of the menu items would have you believe. Call it anything you like and the food would still be worth the effort to book a table.

While bread seems incidental in most restaurants, the French bread here, served with sweet butter was no afterthought, but intentionally classic French in shape, texture and flavor. It set a nice tone for the meal to come.

We don’t often pass on Duck liver pate and this was a generous portion, served in a traditional manner with cornichons and toasted baguette slices. The sea salt was a nice touch and did liven up the taste of the pate.

Here’s where the Italian influence showed itself, in the pasta. As much as we love French Cuisine, the French will never surpass the Italians when it comes to pasta. The pappardelle served on this particular evening was served perfectly al dente with an rich short rib sauce in a classic Italian ratio of sauce to pasta, not too much, not too little.

The sole was beautifully pan fried and you could just imagine the chef ladling the fat over it, to achieve the golden crust. Tender and moist on the inside, but crispy on the outside, it was a fine example of well prepared fish. It was served on top of a hash browned potato patty with a shaved asparagus salad on the side. The chive blossom garnish added a bit of color.